Could You Have Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Posted by Bradley Lewis on May 16, 2014

In this post, we look at leaky gut syndrome and using calcium bentonite clay. Leaky gut is a common malady that most sufferers don’t even know they have. In fact, intestinal issues are more common than most people realize. Symptoms can include abdominal pain, constipation, bloating and gas. There are dozens of over-the-counter medications taken by millions of people that merely treat the symptoms without getting to the root of the problem.

Gut Health and Chronic Disease

The ancient medical doctor Hippocrates proclaimed that all disease begins in the gut. The saying “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” is also attributed to Hippocrates, the father of medicine. According to Dr. Doug Wyatt, M.D., all inflammatory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma – as well as all chronic disease – begin in the gut. Assuming this is true, it follows that healing the gut is an important goal for millions of people around the world.

Causes of Leaky Gut Syndrome

The surface areas of our intestines were designed to keep bad stuff out and only allow nutrients, vitamin and minerals and fully digested food to flow through. While people have the ability to choose what is put in their body, unfortunately they don’t always make good choices when it comes to gut health.

Pain medications have warnings that one side effect is to erode and make the gut bleed. Unfortunately, the majority of drugs used to treat illnesses cause gut erosion, including aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Consuming alcohol on a daily basis will erode the gut.

Acidic drinks including coffee create leaky gut. Excess acid in stomach (acid reflux) is going to cause erosion of the lining of the stomach, bowel and esophagus. In fact, GERD is a symptom of leaky gut syndrome.

Antibiotics including those in foods that we eat, not just those we are prescribed, cause leaky gut. Virtually every animal fed in feed lots are fed antibiotics consistently. Therefore, people that eat conventionally-raised meat are consuming antibiotics consistently. This behavior erodes the gut lining and destroys beneficial flora and creates the opportunity for more infection.

Consumption of processed foods and in particular, gluten, are associated with leaky gut syndrome.

Dr. Wyatt says that people with a chronic disease also have leaky gut. At its core, the root cause of leaky gut is damaged skin tissue.

Your Internal Skin Matters

Most people know that skin is the largest organ of the body. It protects us from invaders, pathogens and toxins. It is also a barometer of the degree of health and wellness and in particular, of the gut. Protecting our external skin with sunscreen and clothing is important. Avoiding exposure to toxic chemicals when bathing (think shower filter) and noxious ingredients in personal care products is also recommended. What many people don’t realize is that our internal skin is also important to good health and wellness.

Internal skin tissue starts in the mouth and goes all the way through the body to the anus. It lines the entire alimentary canal. This skin tissue is very similar to the skin outside our body. When we damage our skin tissue, bacteria, parasites, toxic waste and other unwanted substances are allowed to penetrate the lining of the gut. From there, they get into the blood stream and can affect other parts of the body. The body’s immune system jumps into action and inflammation is often the result. Symptoms of inflammation include bloating, cramps, joint pain, headache and food sensitivities.

These unwanted substances may not only create health problems, they are also likely to worsen other conditions including Crohn’s Disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), colitis, eczema, psoriasis, arthritis and asthma. Damaged intestinal walls not only allow unwelcome substances through, but the ability to uptake vital nutrients may also be impaired. This can result in malnutrition.

For these reasons, keeping the gut free from toxins is required for good gut health.

Calcium Bentonite Clay – Nature’s Original Gut Cleanser

Food-grade calcium bentonite clay is an excellent intestinal cleanser and detoxifier of the entire alimentary canal. Taken internally, bentonite clay’s negative ionic charge attracts toxins, free radicals and other positively charged substances. These are then absorbed into the clay molecule as well as attached to the surface of the clay. From there, both the clay and toxins are passed from the body through ordinary elimination processes.

The most common way to consume our Drinking Powder is to mix it one part clay to eight parts water. The result is a batch of clay water that can be consumed daily. To start with, drink just one ounce of clay water daily for the first week. Provided there is no constipation, two ounces of clay daily is in order. Listen to your body. Everyone responds differently and same people may wish to consume more when trying to address specific health challenges. Clay is perfectly safe and non-toxic and can be taken regularly. Calcium bentonite clay has been used by indigenous cultures for thousands of years. It is even safe for pregnant and nursing women!

Haven’t tried our Drinking Powder yet? Head over to our online store and order a pound. Take care of your gut – and your health. Let us know your results in the comments box below.